Shuttle motion for narrow fabric looms



July 1, 1941. G., HOLDEN A SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW FABRIC Looms FiledJan. 31, 1940 7 sheets-sheet 1 l lllllll www will

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G. HOLDEN 2,247,999

SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW FABRIC LOOMS Filed Jan. 3l, 1940 '7Sheets-Sheet 2 v @@W J July 1, 1941. G. HOLDEN SHUTTLE MOTION FORNARRow'FAB'RIC LooMs Filed Jn. 51, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 yJuly 1, 1941.G. HOLDEN SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW FABRIC LOOMS Filed Jan. 51, 1940 7sheets-sheet 4 July 1 1941. G. HOLDEN SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW FABRICLOOMS Filed Jan. 31, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 BAK -July l, 194.1. G. HOLDENSHUTTLE MOTION FOR .NARROW FABRIC Looms 7 Sheets-Sheet l6 Filed Jan. 51,1940 July 1, 1941.A

' G. HOLDEN SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW FABIIIC'LOOMS AFiled jan, s1, 1940v sheets-shea v' QUQ mwN 1 Patented July 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFECE SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW FABRIC- LOOMS Application January 31,1940, Serial No. 316,666

13 Claims.

This invention relates primarily to shuttle motions for narrow fabriclooms, especially those of the multiple deck type, i. e. a loom adaptedfor simultaneously weaving a plurality of separate strips oi tape,ribbon, etc., at one time without connecting the strips together in anyway, or with the strips connected together at relatively spaced pointsalong their lengths, such as in ladder tapes for Venetian blinds havingcross straps interwoven at their opposite ends with the side tapes, orordinance belts with cartridge loops or pockets interwoven with thebelt, or numerous other articles of these same general characteristics.

In the case of weaving Venetian blind tapes of the kind noted above,four strips are woven separately at the same time to produce two sidetapes and two cross straps, requiring the use of four separate shuttlesfor laying separate weft threads in four open warp sheds respectivelyand at predetermined times the shedding mechanism is operated to combinethe warps of the cross straps with the warps of the side tapes forinterweaving the ends of the cross straps with the side tapes atpredetermined intervals.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple highlyeicient means for actuating the shuttles, as will be fully disclosedhereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side or end elevation of suicient of a tape loomto illustrate the present invention as applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of that end of the loom shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the take-01T guide for the nished tape;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of one section of thelay;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the lay section shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on the line 8 8, Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken on the line 9 9, Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section taken on the line N I, Fig. 4, with one ofthe shuttle guide tier frames swung outwardly into shuttle changingposition;

Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate a Venetian blind tape in front and sideelevation respectively in colc? lapsed form as it comes from the loomafter weaving;

Fig. 13 shows the tape opened up subsequent to finishing after weavingby cutting short extensions of the cross tapes or straps which connectthe two main tapes and hold the same in close parallel relationshipduring and after weaving;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary rearview of one end of the lay beam, showing amodiiication of the invention;

Fig. 15 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line I5-I5,Fig. 14; and

Fig. 16 is a sectional view of a detail of the structure shown in Fig.14.

Ladder tapes for Venetian blinds normally consist of two main tapes Aand B, see Fig. 13, spaced apart a distance equal to the width of theslats of the Venetian blind and connected by cross straps C and D uponwhich the slats are supported. The straps C and D are relatively narrow,as compared to the tapes A and B and are disposed alternately atopposite sides of the center line of the complete ladder tape, as shownin Fig. 11. In some ladder tapes the cross straps C and D and the maintapes A and B are woven separately, short lengths of the strap tapes Cand D being subsequently sewn at their opposite ends to the main tapes Aand B respectively. In other instances, the tapes A, B, C and D arewoven simultaneously but the methods prior to the present inventioninvolved considerable waste of material. For example, intermediatelengths of the warp yarns, after weaving of the tapes, were severed atthe points where the one endof one cross strap C, for example, was wovenin with the strap A and the points Where the next cross strap of thatseries was woven in with the strap B.

The present invention is directed to elimination of this waste and tothat end the straps C are interwoven with the straps A, as indicated ata and then immediately interwoven with the straps B, as indicated at b,leaving a very short length of the strap indicated at c' in Fig. 12connecting the interwoven portions a. and b. When completed, these small'connecting portions c are severed intermediate the main straps A and Bpermitting the main straps A and B to be spaced apart laterally, asindicated in Fig. 13. In a like manner the straps D are interwoven withthe main tapes A and B, as indicated at al and bl, with small connectingportions d which are severed in the same manner as the connecting13.01'- tions c, as noted above. The completed tape of Fig. 13therefore, is substantially the same as any other Venetian blind laddertape where the main Vmoves in the opposite direction.

In alike manner the main tape B is composed of warp series BI andV B2controlled by heddlev tapes and cross straps are woven simultaneously,with the exception that the waste of the material as previously noted,has been eliminated.

The method involved is that the two main tapes A and B are wovensimultaneously in spaced relation to each other and at the same time thecross tapes or straps C and D are being woven intermediate the maintapes A and B, each cross strap being interwoven with one main tape atrelatively spaced intervals along said main tape and with the secondmain tape immediately iol-` lowing the weaving of the cross strap withthe first main tape, providing the relatively small or short Y severingsections directly connecting the twoA main tapes, with the interweavingsof the two series of cross straps arranged in staggered alternatingrelation to each other.

The apparatus employed for weaving the tape primarily consists ofimprovements to a conventional tape loom. In the present instance, in-`stead of the lay beam I of the loom being pivotally mounted foroscillation between the fell 2 and the harness frames 3, the lay I isprovided with flangedwheels 4, 4 which are adapted to ride on tracks 5carried by fixed horizontal portions of the cross frames 6 oi the'loom.The lay ',I, as usual, is connected by pitmans l tothe usual cranks 8 ofthe main crank shaft 9 of the loom, whereby rotation of the crankshaft`9 produces horizontal straight line reciproeation of the lay I. v

Secured to the layV I (see Fig. 4)V is a plurality of verticallyarranged banks ortiers Il! of shuttle Vguides II, II forming horizontalT slots I2, I2 in which are slidably mounted shuttles I3, I 4, I5, 'andI6. The tiers I 0, IIJ are spaced apart longitudinally of the lay I toprovide work spaces I'I between the tiers IB of each adjacent pairthereof.

The main tape A is composed ofA two series of warp threads AI and A2respectively (see Figs. 1 and 5) vcontrolled by harness frames I8 and-I9which divergerearwardly from the fell 2 to form an open warp shed A3,through which the shuttle I3 moves from its guideIZ in one tier Ill to acorresponding `guide -groove I2, in an adjacent tierY III, across the-work space I'I between said tiers, through which the warp series Al andA2 pass. onevdirection acrosslthe spaceI'I, it lays a weftthreadvbetween the warp series AI and A2, where- 1 upon the harnessframes I8 and I9 reverse their respective positions, and consequentlythe threads v AI and A2 respectively, to form a new shed A3` for thepassage ofthe shuttle I3 in the opposite direction. During the intervalof the change in the warp shed the lay I moves toward the fell 2 and -areed comb I 'Ia disposed in the space I 'I behindjtheshuttle guide tiersIll, I0 beats theweit thread up to the fell 2, whereupon frames 2 1]Land 2| respectively, which reverse their position after each-beatup ofthe lay to form warp sheds B3 through which the shuttle I6 passes fromone tier of shuttle guides to the next l adjacent tier, for'laying itsweft thread in the i open warp shed B2 between the beat-up motions of`the lay. The' mechanism is so arranged that thelreciproroations of'theshuttles I3 and I 6 are Obviously, when the shuttle I3 moves in` the layI 3 and C2 controlled by heddle frames 22 and 23 respectively, whichreverse their positions to form open warp sheds C3 through which theshuttle I4 moves concurrently with the shuttle I3, the heddle frames I8and 22 moving concurrently, for example, upwardly to lift the warps AIand CIV respectively, while the Warp frames I9 and 23 move downwardly tocarry the warps A2 and C2 downwardly and vice versa.'

The cross straps D, in a like manner, are formed of warp series DI andD2 controlled by heddle frames 24 and 25 respectively to form the warpshed D3 through which the shuttle I5 moves concurrently with the shuttleI6, the warp heddle frames 24 and 25 reversing their positionsconcurrently with the warp heddle frames 20 and 2| which control thewarp series BI and B2 of y' the main tape B.Y

During the course of weaving, each of the independent pairs of warpseries and the shuttles operating through the warp sheds respectivelyformed thereby, are operated to form the four independent strips oftape, i. e. the main tapes A and B and the cross straps C and Drespectively.

At'a predetermined point in the weaving cycle, the heddle frames 22 and23 are raised until the warps CI and C2 coincide with the warps AI andrce simultaneous but in' opposite Vrdirections,` they movement-of theshuttle-to the right, for exam- 1 ple, -`being counteracted by movementof the shuttle I6 to the left and vice versa.

The cross tapes C are formed of Vwarp series Cl A2 and thereafter, forrelatively short periods of weaving, the frames IB and 22 move exactlythe same, while the heddle frames I9 and 23 likewise move exactly thesame in reversing their positions with the heddle frames I8 and I9; andthe shuttle I3 moves across the combined warp shed formed by the warpsAI and CI on one side and the warps A2 and C2 on the other side of theopen warp shed to lay its weft thread therein, by which the warpsYAI---CI are coincidently woven together while the warps A2 and C2 areYn simultaneously coincidently woven into the fab-V ric, thus producingthe interwoven areas a appearing in Fig. 1l. During this short period ofweaving the shuttle I4 reciprocates idly, there being no warp shed atthat time for the shuttle I4 to pass through.

When the interweaving of the straps C with the main tapes A in the areasa, is completed the heddle frames 22 and 23 controlling the warps CI andC2 drop from their positions above noted to corresponding positions inrelation to the heddle frames 20 and 2|, which control the warps BI andB2 of the second main tape B, and wherein the warps CI coincide with thewarps BI and the warps C2 coincide with the warps B2 to form a combinedopen shed through which the shuttle I6 operates. The heddle frames 22and 20 then move concurrently in 'opposed relation to the tionscoinciding with the heddle frames 20 and Y 2|, the short severingsections c, composed solely Vof the warp threads CI and C2, are formed.

When the interweaving of the section b is completed the heddle frames 22and 23 are again raised to their normal weaving positions, wherein thewarps CI and C2 are again operated to form warp sheds C3 for passage ofthe shuttle I4 and` the resulting weaving of the main portions of thestraps C, which extend from the main tape B to the main tape A; and theweaving continues until it is again time to Weave one of the interwovenareas a, after which the cycle of weaving just described, is repeated.

During this time the heddle frames 24 and 25 have been operating in aregular manner to form the warp sheds D3 between the warps DI and D2 andthe shuttle I has been moving alternately in opposite directions acrossthe work space I1 and producing the main portion of one of the straps D,which extends from the tape B to the tape A. After a sufficient lengthof the strap D is formed in this manner the warp heddle 'frames 24 andare raised to positions coinciding with the heddle frames I8 and I9 andthereafter operate concurrently therewith and with ,the shuttle I3 tointerweave the strap D with the strap A in the same manner ashereinbefore described with respect to the strap C and by which theinterwoven area a! is produced, the shuttle I5 in the meantime operatingidly, as noted above, in regard to the shuttle I4.

The heddle frames 24 and 25 then drop to positions coinciding withpositions of the heddle frames 2l) and ZI respectively and thereaftercooperate coordinately with the heddle frames 20 and 2| and the shuttleI6 to produce the interwoven areas bI, the drop from the upper positioncoinciding with the heddle frames I8 and I9 to the lower positioncoinciding with the heddle frames 20 and 2l, producing the shortsevering section d. After the interwoven area bl is completed, duringwhich the shuttle I5 is operating idly, the heddle frames 24 and 25return to their normal position with respect to the shuttle I5 andcooperate with the movements thereof to produce the main body portion ofthe next cross strap D.

The above noted cycles of weaving are alternately carried out to producealternately the straps C and D and to interweave these straps with themain tapes A and B in the areas a and aI and b and bI with the severingareas c and d therebetween.

As shown in Fig. 3 the fell 2 is formed at the rear end of a tape guide25, which is secured to and projects rearwardly from the breast beam 21of the tape loom, with the warp series AI, A2, CI, C2, DI, D2, BI and B2diverging from a slot 28 formed in the rear end of the guide 23 at thevery mouth of which the fell 2 is formed, the finished fabric F,composed of the main tapes A and B and interwoven cross straps C and Dpassing forwardly through a channel 29 formed in the guide 26.

As shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, each of the shuttles I3, I4, I5and I6 is provided with grooves 30 and 3l which cooperate with theguides II, II, to slidably support the shuttles. Each shuttle isprovided with a gear rack 32 (see Fig. 6) by which the shuttle is movedin the guides II from one tier I0 to the adjacent tier I0. Cooperatingwith each of the tiers are vertical shafts 34 and 35 (see Figs. 2, '7and 8) which are coaxially aligned and rotatably mounted in bearings 36,31 and 38 (see Fig. 8), carried by the lay I.

The shaft 34, in each instance, is provided with gears 39 and 49 whichintermesh with the teeth 32 of the shuttles I3 and I4 respectively. Theshaft in each instance, is provided with gears 4I and 42 which mesh withthe teeth 32 of the shuttles I5 and I6 respectively. The shaft 34 isprovided with a third gear 43 which meshes with a gear rack 44 slidablymounted in the up- 'per portion of the lay I, while the shaft 35 isprovided with a gear 45 which meshes with a gear rack 46 slidablymounted in the lower portion of the lay I.

The gear racks 44 and 46 (see Fig. 2) are provided with pins 41 and 48which ride in slots 49 and 59 formed in oppositely extending alignedarms 5 Ia, 5Ib, of a four arm lever 5I. The crossarm lever 5I ispivotally mounted at 52 on a bracket 53 carried by the lay I, the slots49 and 5i) being formed in diametrically opposite arms of the crossmember 5I. The two arms 5Ic, 5Id, of the cross member 5I, are disposedat right angles to the arms Ela., 5Ib in which the slots 49 and 50 areformed, and are connected to the ends of flexible elements such asstraps 54 and 55 respectively, The straps 54 and 55 pass around a guideroller or rollers 56 and are connected to cranks 51 58 on a crank shaft59.

The crank shaft 59 (see Fig 1) is provided with an elliptical gear 6I)which meshes with an eccentric gear 6I secured to the main crank shaft 9of the machine, so that during the approach, through, and for a shortperiod after the precise dead center positions of the crank shaft 9 andthe directional change points in the reciprocations of the lay I, thecrank shaft 59 is operated at increased speed to effect movement of theshuttles IIS-I4 in one direction and the shuttles I5 and I6 in theopposite direction, with the lay in the back position, the cranks 51 and58 through the straps 54 and 55 effecting rocking of the cross 5I bywhich movement of the shuttle driving racks 44 and 46 in oppositedirections simultaneously, is effected.

During the dead center position of the crank shaft 9 with the lay I inthe forward position, and the reed combs IIa beating the inlaid wefts upat the fell 2, the heddle frames I8 to 25 inclusive, are operated tochange the positions of the several warp series forming the open warpsheds for the passage of the shuttles I3, I4, I5 and I6 when the lay Iagain moves to the back dead center position of the crank shaft 9.

Any suitable dobby or jacquard mechanism or a head and box motion of theCrompton-Knowles type may be provided for raising and lowering theheddle frames in their changes of position to effect formation of theopen warp sheds.

The loom of the present case, like other narrow fabric looms or tapelooms, is capable of producing a number of strips of finished productsimultaneously, for example, twenty strips at one time; and as a resultof this there is no spare room between the strips through which theshuttles may be removed from their guides when the bob-bin of a shuttleis exhausted. In ordinary single deck tape looms this produces no inconvenience. However, in this four-deck machine, where there are fourshuttles disposed one above ie other, it is impossible to take out ashuttle in the ordinary manner, therefore, as shown in Fig. 10, eachtier I0 of the shuttle guides II, II is mounted as a unit on carrierbars Til, 19. Each tier unit I9 is pivotally mounted at 1I to the upperportion of the lay I and is held in position by a spring latch 12cooperating with a keeper 13 on the lower portion of the lay I. Byraising the latch 12 the tier I9 may be swung about its pivot 1I to aposition above the uppermost Warps AI, wherein anyone of the shuttlesI3, I4, I5 and I6 may be readily removed from its guide and a maticallyintermesh with the driving gears and are held in operating relationthereto by the latch and keeper 'I2- 713.r

. The bearings 35, 35 for the upper ends of the upper shuttle drivingshafts 34 are securedV to the upper rail I of the `lay I, while thebearings Y38 for the lower ends of the lowervshuttle drive shafts 35..are secured to the lower yrail I6 of the lay. The rails 'I5 and 'I6 aresecured to and carried by upright brackets TI, 'I'I (see Figs. 'l and9). These vertical bracketsare securedto and `extend vertically from themain beam 'I8 of theY lay. 'I'he bearings 31 for the lower ends of theuppershuttle drive shafts'34 and forthe upper ends of the lower shuttledrive shafts' e5 are carriedby cross brackets 'I9 secured to the uprightbrackets TI. Y

The beat-upcombs I'la,v are held in the lay I, at their upper ends, insockets 8i! formed by cap platesV 8l secured to theV upper rail 'I5 (seeFig. 5) the rear face of the 'rail 'I5 and the ends of the bearings 36,376;. and at their lower ends in sockets 82Y formed by'blocks 83,secured to the main beam 18, the rear face of the rail "l5, and

the ends of the bearings 38, 38.

rIhe shuttle driving racks 44 and iii are `operatively held for slidingmovement in their guide grooves 85 kand 85 in the rails 'l5 and 'I6 bythe vertical brackets 11, 'Il (see Fig. 9). -'Ihe carrier bars 10, 'I0for each tier of shuttle guide blocks Il, II, arelocated at the oppositeends respectively of the blocks and the rear faces of the;blocksintermediate the carrier bars 1li, lil,

bear against the front faces .of theV upright brackets 'II and aresteadied in the lay I there` by; (See Figs. 4, 7 and 9.)

In order to .reduce the lift of the warps to a minimum in forming theopen warp shedsA3, B3, C3, and D3, the two middle shuttles I4 and I5 ineach set are straight, i. e. the central plane of each thereof isperpendicular to the common plane ofthe faces of the guide blocks II, ILelout the two outermost shuttles, I3 and I6, are bent, toward eachother,v i. e. their respective central planes extend at convergentangles with respect to the common plane of the front faces of theY guideblocks II, II,

The type offabric in the tapes maybe of a plain one-over-one weave, asdescribed above, or

B2 in the weaving of the main tapes A and B respectively. Y

Itwill be noted that during the greater portion of the weaving of thefabric F there are four separate strips A, B, C, D, in differentverticallyy spaced levels respectively being woven simultaneously. Undersuch circumstances an ordinary oscillating lay would tend to beat up thelower stripsrtighter than the upper strips. With all four strips beingintegrally interwoven at spacedv points to form Vthe complete laddertape itis essential that all four strips be beaten up to exactly thesame extent, otherwise one side of the ladder tape would be longer thanthe other causing the slats of the Venetian blind to hang unevenly. Theexact uniformity of beat up is efficiently accomplished by the straightline re-V ciprocatory movement of the lay I, in the present instance.

Aspreviously noted, when the cross straps and side tapes of a Venetianblind ladder are being" interwoven by the shuttle I3 or the shuttle I6,as the case may be, the shuttle II or the shuttle I5, depending uponwhich cross strap C or D is being interwoven with which side tape A` orB, reciprocates idly across the work space Il between adjacent shuttleguides II, II.Y It may be desirable to eliminate such idle movementsofthe shuttles I4 and I5 under such circumstances or, in cases where theloom is weaving two or three separate straps of fabric which are not tobe connected to any place along their respective lengths, it would bedesirable to retain the shuttles for the idle deck or decks of the loomat an inoperative position. In such cases the structure shown in Figs.14, l5 and 16 may be em ployed to place and retain the shuttles I @i andI5, or either thereof, out of action.

As shown in Figs. 14 and 15 the rails 'Ia and '13a of the lay la, areprovided vwith wide grooves a and 86a respectively. Slidably mounted inthe guide grooves 85a is a pair of shuttle driving racks 44a, and 44h,and in the groove 86a is slidably mounted a pairof shuttle driving racks6a and 4Gb. The rack 44a meshes with gears 43a` secured to the upperends of shafts 34a. Each yof the shafts 35a is provided with a gear 49afor driving a shuttle Illa, which is one of the two central shuttles ineach vertical series thereof. The second central shuttle I5@ of eachvertical series is driven by a gear Ma, secured to a shaft 35a whichalso carries a gear 45a which meshes with the gearfrack a in the lowerlay rail 16a. o

Rotatably mounted on the shaft 34a is a sleeve shaft 31th and rotatablyVmounted on the shaft 35a is a sleeve shaft 35h. On the upper endof thesleeve shaft 34h is a gear 43h which meshes with the shuttle drivingrack Mb. On the opposite end ofthe sleeve shaft 34h is a gear 4gb, whichdrives the uppermost shuttle I3a of each vertical series. The lowermostshuttle Ia of each vertical series is driven by a gear'IIb Vsecured toone end of the sleeve shaft .35b,.the

lower end of said sleeve shaft beingprovided with a -gear 45h whichmeshes with the teeth of the shuttle driving rack 46h.

' The motion for reciprocating the racks 44a, Mb, 46m-4617, is the sameas previously described. The driving rack Mib is provided with a drivepin Hb with which the cross-arm-lever 5I cooperates to effectlongitudinal reciprocation of the driving rack Mb. The driving rack @5bis provided with a drive pin 48h, which likewise cooperates with thecross-arm-lever 5I for receiving its longitudinal reciprocation.

Normally, the racks 44a, and 441) move in unison in one direction whilethe racks 45a, and 46h move in unison in the opposite direction and forthis purpose said pairs of racks are adapted to be locked or coupledtogether by any suitable means such, for example, as that shown in Fig.

V16, wherein one of the driving racks Yis provided with a bushed opening99 Vfor the reception of one end of a coupling'pin SI. The coupling pin9| is slidably mounted in a bushed opening 92 formed in the other rackof the pair.

The coupling pin 9| may be provided with a collar 93 between which and abearing 94, formed at one end of a housing 95 and constituting an 5extended bearing for the coupling pin 9|, is a spring 99. The spring 96tends to force the coupling pin 9| into the bushing 99 at all times tolock the two racks together.

'Ihe coupling pin 9| may be provided with a head 91 for connecting thepin to the dobby, jacquard, or head motion by which the heddle frames ofthe loom are selectively raised and lowered for changing the warp shedsthrough which the various shuttles pass, whereby, at predetermined timesand for predetermined periods of time, the coupling pins 9| may bewithdrawn from the bushed holes 90, leaving the rack Ada or 49a, as the4case may be, standing in an idle position while the other rack of eachpair, i. e. the rack 44h or 49h, continues to reciprocate and operatethe shuttles |3a and Ita while the shuttles |4a and/or |5a remain idle.

In one instance the head 91 and its coupling pin 9| are connecteddirectly by a Wire 98 to the shed forming mechanism. In the otherinstance the wire 98 is connected through a lever 99 to the head 91 ofthe coupling pin 9|. In either instance, with the wires 93, 98 connectedto levers or other operating parts of the shedding motion, in the samemanner as the heddle frames I8 to 25 are respectively connected to theshedding mechanism, the wires 98, 98 are operated by the sheddingmechanism to withdraw the coupling pin 9|, 9| at predetermined times andto hold said pins in such withdrawn positions for predetermined periodsof time to disconnect the racks for the center shuttles from themechanism, by which these racks are reciprocated. Obviously, thecoupling pins 9| may be selectively operated by the shedding mechanismto hold one in a withdrawn position while the other is in a couplingposition or vice versa, or both pins may be withdrawn and withheldsimultaneously for corresponding periods of time, in the same manner asthe heddle frames are raised and lowered selectively and held in raisedor lowered positions for any length of time desired by the sheddingmechanism which forms no part of the present invention and being ofstandard well-known type no further explanation or description thereofis deemed necessary as it is believed that the necessary connections maybe readily made by anyone familiar with the art.

By the above arrangement either one or both of the center shuttles Maand |5a may be held out of action during Weaving of the cross straps Cor D with the main tapes A or B at such times as these center shuttleswould normally reciprocate idly, or one or the other or both of thesecenter shuttles may be held out of action at any time when separatestrips are being woven by the shuttles |3a and |6a respectively.

I claim:

1. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotallysupported by said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides,vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, and gears on said shaftsadapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocatingsaid shuttles in said guides, with one series of said shafts operatingone series of said shuttles and a second series of said shafts operatinga second series of said shuttles.

2. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal 75 guides pivotallysupported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides,vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, and gears on said shaftsadapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocatingsaid shuttles in said guides, with one series of said shafts operatingone series of said shuttles and a second series of said shafts operatinga second series of said shuttles in opposite directions to the iirstsaid series of shuttles.

3. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotallysupported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides,vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, gears on said shaftsadapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocatingsaid shuttles in said guides, with one series of said shafts operatingone series of said shuttles and a second series of said shafts operatinga second series of said shuttles, a pair of gear racks reciprocablymounted on said lay and meshing with gears on said shafts for actuatingsaid shafts, and means for reciprocating said gear racks.

4. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotallysupported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides,vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, gears on said shaftsadapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocatingsaid shuttles in said guides, with one series of said shafts operatingone series of said shuttles and a second series of said shafts operatinga second series of said shuttles, a pair of gear racks reciprocablymounted on said lay and meshing with gears on said shafts for actuatingsaid shafts, and means for reciprocating said gear racks carried by saidlay.

5. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotallysupported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides,vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, gears on said shaftsadapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocatingsaid shuttles in said guides, with one series of said shafts operatingone series of said shuttles and a second series of said shafts operatinga second series of said shuttles in opposite directions to the firstsaid series of shuttles, a pair of gear racks reciprocably mounted onsaid lay and meshing with gears on said shafts for actuating saidshafts, and means for reciprocating said gear racks carried by said lay.

6. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotallysupported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides,vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, gears on said shaftsadapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocatingsaid shuttles in said guides, with one series 0f said shafts operatingone series of said shuttles and a second series of said shafts operatinga second series of said shuttles in opposite directions to the rst saidseries of shuttles, .a pair of gear racks reciprocably mounted on saidlay and meshing with gears on said shafts for actuating said shafts,means for reciprocating said gear racks carried by said lay, and meansindependent of said lay for actuating said rack-reciprocating means.

7. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotallysupported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides,vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, gears on said shaftsadapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocatingsaid shuttles in said guides, with one series of said shafts operatingone series of said shuttles anda secondseries of said shafts operating asecond series of said shuttles in opposite directions to the 'i'lrstsaid gseries of shuttles, a pair of gear racks reciprocably mounted onsaid lay and meshing With gears on said shafts for actuating saidshafts, means for reciprocating said gear racks carried by said lay,means independent of said lay for actuating Vsaid` rack-reciprocatingmeans, andV lflexible means operatively connecting said actuating meansWith said rack-reciprocating means.

8. In a loom, a lay, a plurality of laterally spaced vertical tiers ofvertically spaced shuttle guides on said lay, means for pivotallyattaching each tier to said lay in a manner to provide relativedisplacement of each tier from normal working :position on said lay to aposition affording the upper end of each tier to said lay, and means fordetachablyconneoting the lower end of each tier to said lay.

10. In a loom, a lay, a plurality of laterally spaced vertical tiers ofvertically spaced shuttle guides on saidelay, means for pivotallyconnecting the upper end 0i each tier to said lay, and a spring latchdetachably securing the lower end of ieach tier Vto the lay. l1. Inaloom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal vguides pivotally supported onsaid lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides respectively,`vertical shafts rotatably mounted Von said lay adjacent said guides, apair of gears on each shaft, Va driving gear rack meshing with one ofthegears each of a group of said shafts, a driving gear rack Ymeshing withone of the gears of each of another group of said shafts, driven gearracks meshing respectively With the second gears on rsaid shafts, meansfor reciprocating said driving gear racks, andmeans for couplingY anduncoupling said driving gear racks selectively Vrenconeurrent orrelativerecip'rocation. 12. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontalguides pivotally supported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted insaid guides respectively, vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said layadjacent said guides, sleeves rotatably mounted on said shafts, a pairof 'gears on' each shaft, a pair of gears on each sleeve, a driving gearrack cooperating with one of the gearson each shaft, a driving gear rackcooperating with one of the gears on each sleeve, driven gear racks onaV group of said shuttles cooperating WithY the second gears on saidshafts, driven gear racks on a sec'ond group of said shuttlescooperating with the second gears on said sleeves, means forreciprocating said driving gear racks,Y and means for Y coupling andluncoupling said driving gear racks selectively for concurrent orVrelative reciprocation.

13. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotallysupported on said lay,l shuttles reciprocaloly mounted in said guidesrespectively, a series of vertical shafts rotatably mounted in said layadjacent said guides, a second series of vertical shafts respectivelyaligned axially with said first series, sleeves respectively mounted forrotation on said vertical shafts, a pair of gears on each shaft, a pairof gears on each sleeve, a driving gear rack cooperating with one gearon each shaft of one of said series, a driving gear rack cooperatingwith one gear on each shaft of the second series, adriving gear rackcooperating With one gear on each sleeve on the first series of shafts,a driving gear rack cooperating with one gear on each sleeve onY thesecond series of shafts, Ydriven gear racks on said shuttles forcooperation with the second gears on said shafts and sleeves, means forVreciprocating said driving gear racks, land means Yfor coupling anduncoupling pairs of said driving gear racks selectively for concurrentor relative reciprocation. y Y Y GEORGE HOLDEN.

